Garment-stay.



M. M. BEEMAN.

GARMENT STAY.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 5, 1908.

1,098,468, Patented June 2,1914.

WITNESSES INVENTOFI M WMWWW I W 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCUS M. BEEMAN, OF MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPIRELLA.COMPANY, 015 MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GAHlVLENT-STAY.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that l, hlAncUs M. BnnMAN, a resident of Mcadville, in thecounty of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in GarmenuStays, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to stays for garments and the like, and moreparticularly to stays for corsets.

The object of the invention is to provide a stay for this purpose whichwill readily yield edgewise as well as sidewise, which is highly elasticand in which the bending is not concentrated at any point or points soas to avoid crystallization and breakage.

A further object is to provide a stay of the character named which canbe readily and cheaply manufactured.

The invention comprises the stay hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a face view of the stay; Fig. 2is a face view of the blank before the final bend; Fig. 3 is aperspective view illustrating the final bending of the stay; Fig. 4 is across section through the stay; Fig. 5 is a face view of a modificationemploying two wires instead of a single wire; and Fig. 6 is a face Viewof the blank for the latter before the final bendin The stay shown inFigs. 1 to 4t is formed from a single continuous wire 1, which is bentback and forth to form'a series of oppositely disposed loops or eyes 2.,each of which normally partly overlaps the side of an adjoining loop oreye, as at 3, and the transverse portions of the wire, or crossings 5lying at a slight angle from the normal to the longitudinal axis of thestructure. This gives each side of a loop or eye a bearing upon the sideof an adjoining loop or eye and all of the said loops or eyes are flat.The overlapping of these loops or eyes upon each other permits them toslide one on the other when the stay is bent in any direction, forward,back or sidewise and absolutely prevents any short bends orconcentration of bending at a point or few points and prevents breakageor destruction of the resiliency of the spring. By having the eyes orloops bear one on the other when the stay is ticked the strength of thestay is greatly increased and the bending stresses exerted on any oneloop or eye are on this bearing trans- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 5, 1908.

Patented J une 2, 1914:.

Serial No. 466,14l8.

ferred in part to the adjacent eye or eyes. The blank so formed iscompleted by bond ing it on the central longitudinal. line, as shown inFigs. 3 and a, that is, folding onehalf the blank over onto the other.The stay so formed is therefore composed of two series of loops or eyesone superimposed on the other with the closed end portions of the loopsforming one edge of the stay while the opposite edge is formed by theintermediate joining portion 5. The loops or eyes shown in the drawingsare of pear-shape, that is being wide and round at their closed ends andgradually tapering toward their open ends, but the shape may be changedas desired.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a modification in which the stay is composed of twoWires 6 and 7 each formed into a series of loops substantiallypear-shape, alternate ones of the loops or eyes being formed in one wireand the intermediate ones being formed in the other wire. The ends ofthe stay are finished by applying a suitable metal clip thereto and thestays will be inclosed in the usual casing which usually forms a part ofthe fabric of the corset or other garment.

The stay described has its loops or eyes lying in two superimposedplanes with the loops or eyes in each plane partly overlapping andbearing against the loops or eyes on each side so as to transfer strainsfrom one loop to the other. This stay is flexible in all directions,edgewise as well as sidewise, and the bending is not confined at any onepoint or few points, thus avoiding crystallization and breakage. Theoverlapping of the loops gives suitable rigidity so that light wire canbe used, and also increases the elasticity so that the stay does nottake a permanent set.

What ll claim is 1. A garment stay comprising a flat wire structurehaving a series of overlapping loops or convolutions, said wirestructure being folded longitudinally upon itself to form a plurality ofsuperimposed plies in parallel planes, said plies being connected toeach other only along the line of fold, so that the wire structures ofthe different plies act independently of each other on either edgewiseor flatwise fiexure of the stay.

2. A device for use as a corset stay com prising a flat structure ofWire bent into sinuous or serpentine form with successive loops oroonvolutions and connecting crossof each other on either edgewise orflatwise ings, said Wire structure being folded lonflexure of the stay.10 gitudinally upon itself along its median line In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set to form a plurality of superimposed plies in my hand.

parallel planes, said plies being connected MARCUS M. BEEMAN. to eachother only along one edge of the stay Witnesses:

at the line of fold, whereby the Wire struc J. H. PARDEE,

tures of the different plies act independently A. J. PALM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

